Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a Place consisting of rooms. A room is made up of pages. Folders are used to organize pages. Members belong to rooms, and are those users authorized to access them. Place type controls the creation of a place, including how many rooms it has, for example. Room type controls the appearance and content of rooms. A form manages the display of data notes. A form can contain fields for containing data and employ scripts to process and compute data. A page is the basic vehicle for content. Content is created using an or importing content from an external source. A member is also a data note, and each place contains its own member directory. A place is created and managed from a client browser in on-line mode and in offline mode with respect to a replicated copy of the space. Room security is independently managed, and security and aesthetics characteristics of subrooms selectively inherited.

Abstract: The present invention is a method, system and apparatus for the policy based provisioning and management of a collaborative context. A policy based application provisioning system for use in a collaborative environment can include a policy having rules for limiting collaborative context creation and operation in the collaborative environment. A context provisioning process can be coupled to the policy and configured to create collaborative contexts in the collaborative environment limited by the rules in the policy. Finally, a context management process can be coupled to a data store of usage data for created ones of created collaborative contexts in the collaborative environment.

Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a place consisting of rooms created by users interacting with a client browser. A skin (i.e., theme) may be used as template for creating places. PlaceBots (i.e., agents) provide for accessing, processing and managing data in a place. HTML may be dragged and dropped into a place, where it is parsed and corresponding place fields created. MS Excel or Word documents may be dragged and dropped into a place, which creates a corresponding form, and users may create new documents using that form. A place type comprising a template of an entire place, or collaboration space, may be used to create new places. Changes made to a place may be reported, subject to security controls, by selecting what's new. Task fields are provided allowing web browser creation of forms for work flow. Place enabled objects are provided for synchronous communications. A quick browse feature provides a simplified format for browser windows based on selection of HTML links.

Abstract: The present invention is a method, system and apparatus for combining synchronous and asynchronous collaborative components in a single collaborative content. A named collaborative context can include a selection of collaborators in a membership and at least one role applied to the collaborators. The named collaborative context can further include a selection of resources for use by the collaborators. Most importantly, the named collaborative context can include an ad hoc mix of synchronous and asynchronous tools. Preferably, the named collaborative can also include a template defining the selection of collaborators, the role or roles applied to the collaborators, the selection of resources, and the ad hoc mix.

Abstract: A method and system for the establishment of a named collaborative space in a collaborative computing environment in which a named space defining a place within the collaborative computing environment is provided. A membership set for the collaborative space is identified in which the membership set includes one or more members. At least one business process accessible within the named space is provided. The at least one business process can provide a business component instance which provides a specific business function within the named space. The business component instance can be in the form of a portlet.

Abstract: The present invention is a method, system and apparatus for dynamically restructuring a named collaborative context. In a system for dynamically restructuring a named collaborative context, a named collaborative space having a composition of collaborators, roles, tools and resources can be coupled to a workflow engine. The workflow engine can be configured to process workflow templates. Restructuring logic further can be included in the system and can be programmed to rearrange the named collaborative space with a different composition responsive to a workflow step change specified by a workflow template for the named collaborative space and processed in the workflow engine. Notably, a portal view can be configured to provide a user interface to the named collaborative space. In this regard, the tools can include logical components embodied in a portlet disposed in the portal view.

Abstract: A method and system for integrating an instance of a third party application into a collaborative computing environment instance are provided. One or more data interfaces between the third party application instance and the collaborative computing environment are created. The third party application instance is exposed within the collaborative computing environment. A template within the collaborative computing environment that uses the third party application instance is created. A migration tool is used to create collaborative computing environment instances which reference existing instances within the third party application.

Abstract: The present invention is a method, system and apparatus for hierarchically grouping a community of users within in a directory structure. for hierarchically grouping a community of users within a directory structure. A hierarchical grouping system can include a collaborative context having a community of subscribers, one or more roles assigned to the subscribers, and one or more tools and resources configured for access by the subscribers the access being limited by the roles. The system further can include a directly having entries associated with the subscribers. Notably, the directory can have a single hierarchical structure. Finally, the system can include a mapping between the directory and the roles in the collaborative context. Notably, the collaborative context can be a named collaborative space disposed in a portal environment and the directly can include an LDAP directory.

Abstract: A role mapping method and system for a collaborative computing environment in provided. A set of permissions defining access to a generic business component for a named permission set is stored in a database. The set of permissions for the named permission set are mapped to an abstract role. Based on these mappings, access permissions to a business component instance within a community can be set.

Abstract: A method and system for managing membership in a collaborative computing environment community are provided. Identification of a selected a group of end user persons to invite to join the collaborative computing community is received. The selected group is evaluated to identify one or more invitees there from. The one or more identified invitees are invited to join the community. An indication from one or more invitees that the invitee wishes to join the community is received.

Abstract: A system for aggregating user information on a plurality of projects and servers includes a project catalog; a project catalog server; a plurality of project servers; a plurality of project databases; a project database being associated with each project server; an entry in the project catalog for each project server and each project database; and a my projects procedure responsive to user entry of a my projects request for accessing the project catalog server to obtain markup language representations of entries in the project catalog for the user for display at a terminal.

Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a Place consisting of rooms. A room is made up of pages. Folders are used to organize pages. Members belong to rooms, and are those users authorized to access them. Place type controls the creation of a place, including how many rooms it has, for example. Room type controls the appearance and content of rooms. A form manages the display of data notes. A form can contain fields for containing data and employ scripts to process and compute data. A page is the basic vehicle for content. Content is created using an or importing content from an external source. A member is also a data note, and each place contains its own member directory. A place is created and managed from a client browser in on-line mode and in offline mode with respect to a replicated copy of the space. Room security is independently managed, and security and aesthetics characteristics of subrooms selectively inherited.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a user interface by, responsive to end user input, building a text file including data source and formatting logic; instantiating an uploadable skin; binding the text file to the skin; responsive to command from the end user, dynamically uploading the skin from a user terminal to a place server; processing and storing the skin in a place database; responsive to end user request, selecting and rendering the user interface in accordance with the skin.

Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a Place consisting of rooms. A room is made up of pages. Folders are used to organize pages. Members belong to rooms, and are those users authorized to access them. Place type controls the creation of a place, including how many rooms it has, for example. Room type controls the appearance and content of rooms. A form manages the display of data notes. A form can contain fields for containing data and employ scripts to process and compute data. A page is the basic vehicle for content. Content is created using an or importing content from an external source. A member is also a data note, and each place contains its own member directory. A place is created and managed from a client browser in on-line mode and in offline mode with respect to a replicated copy of the space. Room security is independently managed, and security and aesthetics characteristics of subrooms selectively inherited.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for command line administration of project spaces using extensible markup language objects including a data store for storing project data, the data store including a project catalog database and a plurality of objects in project spaces; a command line element for receiving a first user command including an output command and arguments with respect to an object in the data store; a first command processor for executing the first user command against the object in the data store to generate a first extensible markup language file; a second command processor for receiving at least one subsequent user commands, each subsequent user command including an input command, and executing a first subsequent second user command against the first extensible markup language file and the data store to manage the objects in the data store and generate a resultant output extensible markup language file when needed for reentrant processing.

Abstract: A system for aggregating user information on a plurality of projects and servers includes a project catalog; a project catalog server; a plurality of project servers; a plurality of project databases; a project database being associated with each project server; an entry in the project catalog for each project server and each project database; and a my projects procedure responsive to user entry of a my projects request for accessing the project catalog server to obtain markup language representations of entries in the project catalog for the user for display at a terminal.

Abstract: Data on place objects in a distributed environment are generated in a system including a plurality of server objects instantiated in the environment in the same address domain, which share a same user directory and authentication system, are on a same user network, and are administered by a single administration team. A service catalog is provided for cataloging a plurality of place objects as nodes on a tree, place objects including the plurality of servers objects within the distributed environment. A document file is provided for encapsulating cataloged relationships of server objects in the distributed environment and for storing object attributes generated by traversing the tree.

Abstract: A system for aggregating data descriptive of a plurality of projects and servers includes a host catalog; a host catalog server; a plurality of project servers; a plurality of project databases; a cluster including a master server and a plurality of project servers; a project database associated with each project server; an entry in the host catalog for each project server and each project database. The place catalog server executes simple aggregation on behalf of a project server which is a master non-virtual server selectively by immediate updating and scheduled updating of an entry in the host catalog for the project server; and executes complex aggregation on behalf of a cluster of servers by executing immediate updates to a master entry in the host catalog database and by executing non-immediate updates to an entry in the host catalog database for a non-virtual, non-master project server.

Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a Place consisting of rooms. A room is made up of pages. Folders are used to organize pages. Members belong to rooms, and are those users authorized to access them. Place type controls the creation of a place, including how many rooms it has, for example. Room type controls the appearance and content of rooms. A form manages the display of data notes. A form can contain fields for containing data and employ scripts to process and compute data. A page is the basic vehicle for content. Content is created using an or importing content from an external source. A member is also a data note, and each place contains its own member directory. A place is created and managed from a client browser in on-line mode and in offline mode with respect to a replicated copy of the space. Room security is independently managed, and security and aesthetics characteristics of subrooms selectively inherited.

Abstract: Collaboration space object model provides for a place consisting of rooms created by users interacting with a client browser. A skin (i.e., theme) may be used as template for creating places. PlaceBots (i.e., agents) provide for accessing, processing and managing data in a place. HTML may be dragged and dropped into a place, where it is parsed and corresponding place fields created. MS Excel or Word documents may be dragged and dropped into a place, which creates a corresponding form, and users may create new documents using that form. A place type comprising a template of an entire place, or collaboration space, may be used to create new places. Changes made to a place may be reported, subject to security controls, by selecting what's new. Task fields are provided allowing web browser creation of forms for work flow. Place enabled objects are provided for synchronous communications. A quick browse feature provides a simplified format for browser windows based on selection of HTML links.